News

  • In Solidarity: A Statement from the National Core Indicators Team at HSRI

    Jun 15th, 2020

    The aim of National Core Indicators® (NCI) is to amplify often overlooked and undervalued voices. This foundational value has made us acutely aware of the pain and anger expressed by voices of color in the face of systemic racism, white privilege, and injustice.  

    The NCI team at HSRI stands in solidarity with our friends and colleagues of color. We stand in solidarity with people of color across the country whose voices are often unheard and unacknowledged. We stand in solidarity with direct support professionals—many of them people of color—who have been on the frontlines of the pandemic. We stand in solidarity with those experiencing the intersection of race and disability; we recognize the deep linkages between racism, white privilege, and ableism. 

    And though we express our solidarity today, we know this is not a new problem, and marginalized voices are not expressing this pain for the first time.

    At NCI, we will continue to ensure that the voices of people with IDD are heard wherever and whenever public policy is being made.  And we will continue to point out any disparities in the outcomes of people with IDD from ethnic and racial minorities. But we also commit to doing much more.

    • We commit to examining and reporting racial and ethnic disparities in all data briefs and data resources we produce.  
    • We commit to continuing to ensure that the Staff Stability Survey produces usable and applicable data to support improvements in pay, benefits and working conditions for the direct support professional workforce.
    • We commit to encouraging and prioritizing research requests for access to NCI data to investigate racial disparities, and to partnering with individuals and organizations to effectively complete these investigations.
    • We commit, in our survey development work, to ensuring that survey questions are culturally relevant indicators of quality and that stakeholders we engage represent the population, and particularly communities of color.
    • We commit to continuing to learn and grow.

    We look forward to working with our NCI contacts and advocacy partners across the states to discuss other ways that NCI can contribute to structural and systemic change.

    Together in solidarity,

    The NCI Team at HSRI

  • Apr 27th, 2020

    Gabrielle Szarek, Director of Transition Services at St. Louis Arc gave this presentation during an ACL/CMS Promising Practices Training Series webinar called Ensuring Continuity of HCBS During the COVID-19 Pandemic. This presentation, entitled Inspiring, Engaging and Motivating Virtually, discusses how the St. Louis Arc was able to transition to remote technology and allow for continuity in their transition programming. 

  • NCI Team Members included in AAIDD National Historic Recognition Project, 2000-2010

    Apr 9th, 2020

    CONGRATULATIONS to NCI Director for HSRI Alixe Bonardi and HSRI President Emerita (and NCI co-founder) Val Bradley on their inclusion in the AAIDD National Historic Recognition Project 2000-2020